THE TIDE BETWEEN US

THE EMPLOYEE

With a smoke of cigarette, Gabriel watched Sheena from the distance. As if guarding her until she satisfied herself from the water.

When Sheena emerged from the water, she felt no sense of unease or danger in the area. She glanced around; the place remained completely quiet.

She returned to the rock where she had left her personal belongings and noticed a pack of cigarettes that seemed to have been deliberately placed next to her things. She immediately looked around but saw no one.

"Who could have put this here?" Sheena wondered aloud, as if someone might hear her.

Realizing there was no one else around, she hurriedly got dressed, though her entire body was inevitably exposed despite her attempts to cover herself with a towel.

While her mind was occupied with dressing quickly, Sheena was unaware that a video camera was pointed at her, operated by a man harboring lewd thoughts about her.

Two days had passed, yet Sheena still couldn't stop wondering how a pack of cigarettes had ended up on the ledge where she had placed her belongings. She didn't need to guess, but she did need to find out if anyone had seen her that night.

Sheena’s shift ended at exactly nine o'clock in the evening, and she headed home to the small apartment provided for employees. As she walked, she thought about visiting Ismael’s uncle sometime soon. It had been three weeks since she last saw him; she didn't quite know why she wanted to see him, though in her heart, she viewed it simply as a natural check-in between a friend or family member.

The following evening, after leaving work, she bought some cook fish "tinola" from a local eatery and brought it to Gabriel’s penthouse, wanting to visit on him.

She found the door open from the outside, so she walked straight in. Upon reaching the living room, she saw Gabriel sitting on the sofa, appearing as though he were conversing with someone. There was a light in front of him, suggesting he was watching something.

Sheena sighed, momentarily hesitating about whether to push through with her plan. She glanced at her watch; her colleagues were getting off work, and the next shift was arriving. If she stepped out now, someone might see her and jump to the wrong conclusions.

So, she decided to proceed. She was about to call out to Gabriel, walking softly while holding the plastic bag of food...

But she stopped in her tracks as she drew closer, having caught sight of the video Gabriel was watching.

The video Gabriel was watching had no sound, yet he was groaning as he watched it.

Sheena’s eyes widened the moment she saw the scene, Gabriel was sitting on the sofa, holding and fondling his c*ck while watching a video of her.

Sheena was the woman Gabriel was watching as he pleased himself in the video, she was stark naked, slowly putting on her clothes.

Sheena suddenly remembered, he must have been the man who placed the hidden camera next to her belongings, and he was the one who had recorded the footage himself.

And the pocket of cigarette, is he really the one?

"Shee....na..." Gabriel even moans for her name..

Sheena felt a deep sense of humiliation, as if her dignity had been belittled. Overcome with anxiety, she immediately left the penthouse. She briefly hid in the garden, waiting for the two hours to pass to ensure no one would see her.

Afterward, she returned to her small apartment, dazed and weak. She scooped up some rice and simply ate the "tinolang isda" she had brought with her in a plastic bag.

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Then Ismael discovered the truth, after his one month training. He arrived to visit her at their house, but her parents told him that she was working at Surigao Island now, and mentioning a private resort there named "Solomon"

Ismael knew it. Sheena is really hard headed to grab a job without his approval.

Unexpectedly, that one humid afternoon. Ismael face was dark with anger.

Two months had passed.

For most people, sixty days were simply a measure of time. For Sheena Azarcon, they felt like an entirely different lifetime.

The mornings at Solomon Shores Resort always begin before sunrise. By five-thirty AM, she was already dressed in her neatly pressed uniform, her long hair tied into a low ponytail. The scent of brewed coffee drifted through the lobby as housekeeping staff prepared for arriving guests.

She had become part of the routine.

"Good morning, Miss Azarcon."

"Morning, Ma'am."

The security guards greeted her with warm smiles. The reception staff had stopped treating her like the owner's relative's guest and instead saw her as one of their own.

She preferred it that way. Actually, her work gave her a purpose. But it also distracted her from the silence.

Every evening, before going to bed, she still looked at her phone. No messages and no missed calls. There is nothing from Ismael...

At first she had tried reaching him. But the calls continued to ring, but unanswered. Her messages remained unread.

Eventually, she stopped trying.

Not because she had forgotten him. Because she was tired of waiting for words that would never come.

One rainy afternoon, Gabriel walked through the lobby carrying several folders.

Guests greeted him respectfully.

Unlike many resort owners, Gabriel disliked staying inside his office. He preferred inspecting the grounds himself, speaking with employees, and solving problems before they grew larger.

As he approached the reception desk, he noticed Sheena patiently calming an elderly Australian couple whose luggage had accidentally been delivered to another villa. Within minutes, she resolved the misunderstanding. The guests thanked her repeatedly.

Gabriel watched from a distance, but she never noticed.

Later that afternoon, Sheena knocked gently on the office door.

And Gabriel greeted her first at his words saying, "Your the best in handling that scenario"

She looked up from her paperwork and said. "I was only doing my job."

Gabriel smiled faintly.

"Many people say that. But only few actually mean it."

Sheena lowered her eyes. "Thank you."

Gabriel placed a folder on the desk.

"I've been reviewing employee evaluations."

Sheena looked confused. "You've exceeded expectations."

"Yes I have. You learn quickly... You stay calm under pressure. And the guests can easily remember your name." Gabriel continued.

A small smile appeared on her face.

"I didn't know."

Gabriel paused. "Now you do."